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Subject:RE: The End Of Technical Writing From:Tony Markos <ajmarkos -at- yahoo -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Thu, 28 Oct 2004 12:31:51 -0700 (PDT)
--- eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com wrote:
Tony Markos <ajmarkos -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote
So what, it only took a couple of hours to redraw
it [the Data Flow Diagram] (with pencil of
course).
Eric Dunn:
I'm with Bonnie. You have got to be kidding.
Hand drawn diagrams and hours of redrawing with no
advancement on other outstanding work would
scuttle the project very quickly.
Tony Markos responds:
Err, lets look at the total numbers for analysis for
this project:
* Total dollars spent in analysis for the project
before Tony and his Data Flow Diagrams arrived on
scene = $25 Million. (Ain't got the hours, just the
dollars, but you get a pretty good idea of hours from
this figure.)
* Total time Tony took, using Data Flow Diagrams, to
redue the essential part of the above analysis - this
time correctly: Six (6) working days. Err I don't
think the couple extra hours for redrawing my DFD
where very significant!
Eric Dunn:
Your enthusiasm for diagrams sounds a little too much
like someone who's been drinking Kool-aid.
Tony Markos:
Experiencing the true power of data flow diagrams is a
very, very invigorating experience. Like I said
before, after such an experience, going back to the
"old way" of tech comm is boring!
Eric Dunn:
While the organization and identification of
requirements is an important step, I doubt any of my
team would be pleased if close to deadline (98%) all I
had to show for my efforts were some pretty diagrams
that were useless to the client.
Tony Markos:
That pretty diagram (actually it was about six sheets
of notebook paper tapped together, and it still looked
like heck), was THE major factor in securing $125
Million - next year alone - in funding for this very
large scale government project.
Tony Markos
It is only by dying (i.e., following the flow of data)
that we are borne again (i.e., come to understand the
underlying logic of a system).
- AJ Markos
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